Golden Curls
by crystallizedflames
Summary: After the end of the series. KaoruXOC. Elysia doesn't believe in love. Kaoru's pretty much living in it. Kaoru hates blondes. Elysia thinks gingers have no souls. Hikaru and the rest of the Host Club are accepting a new challenge: getting them together.
1. Meeting

**Gosh, I love starting random stories while im in the middle of other stories. Oh, btw, please excuse my horrible grammar right now. I just painted my nails, so im typing with only two fingers. So yaaaa. **

**Anyways, since ive been dreaming of kaoru (I learned how to spell his name!) and me being a couple, I decided to write a story since its been stuck in my head. So yaaa. **

**Do you guys think I should do two perspectives on this? My OC's POV and kaoro's POV? Or should I just keep it to one? Thanks for the help **

**(btw, I do not intend for my OC to flatter me. So please don't think im stuck up and all that nonsense. Thank you! 3)**

**Disclaimer: im typing this with shiny nails. Do you think the owner of ouran high school host club would type something with horrible grammar and shiny nails? I though not.**

_Golden Curls _

_Meeting_

I don't fall for blondies. I go for the ones with brown hair. Like Haruhi. But then again, I can't really have her. Tamaki would kill me.

Blondes are ignorant. They don't get sarcasm, and probably fail every year at school. They wouldn't in a million years be able to tell Hikaru and I apart. Never. It'd be a miracle.

All in all, I don't think highly of blondes.

It does help that blondes aren't normally found at Ouran High. We have one. Tamaki. And that's only because he's half French. Everyone likes him, so it doesn't matter that he's an idiot.

But, yesterday, I saw this girl. My age, long, curly golden hair put in a high ponytail, with bangs that framed her face. Large blue eyes, with the slightest tinge of gray. Instead of the normal girl uniform, you know, yellow frou-frou dress with puff sleeves, she wore just a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black skinny jeans. How she got away with wearing that to school, I have no idea.

I noticed her when Hikaru, Haruhi, and I were talking on the corner before class. She walked past, carrying her books in her arms, when a first year came running down the hall, and without seeing where he was going, ran into her. Her books flew out of her arms, and the boy mumbled a slight apology before taking off again. She sighed, then began to pick them up.

Haruhi, being the wonderful person that she is, ran over to help.

"Let me help," She said, giving the girl her smile that made Tamaki and Hikaru melt.

"Thanks, that's very kind of you." The girl gave Haruhi a shy smile back.

I picked up a book next to me. _Biology IV. _Dang, this girl was smart. She was in the same class as Haruhi.

"Here," I gave it to her, putting it on top of the couple that Haruhi and she had picked up. She smiled at me, but it wasn't as grateful as the one she gave Haruhi. I felt my heart flip a little, despite that.

"Thanks," She picked them up, nodded to both Haruhi and I, then moved down the hall.

"You're….welcome." I found my voice about five seconds late.

"I think Kaoru's in love with sooommmeeeooonneee," Hikaru sang from behind me.

"Shut up. Haruhi, do you know who that is?"

"How could I not know? She's the only other commoner here. Her name's Elysia Curran, a transfer student from America. I don't know much else about her, although she is the one person at this school that I actually _want_ to get to know." Haruhi gazed after the girl with golden curls.

Spell broken. I realized that day that I had just gotten a crush on a blonde. '

I need to get my priorities straight.


	2. Meeting: Kaoru

**Hey guyyssss! I was reading a story the other day, and I noticed that the author's note was like **_**5 pages long.**_** It really annoyed me. And it wasn't even interesting. It just went on and on about linguistics and how proper grammar is great and blah blah blah. So I've decided to only make my author notes at most 5 short paragraphs. Just so I don't bore you to death. **

**Disclaimer: Noope. I wish I owned Ouran High School Host Club. Then I could actually meet Kaoru…..*sigh…. **

_Meeting: Kaoru_

Gosh I hate rich people.

They're so…snarky. Ya, that's a word. Google it, it exists.

It doesn't help that they all stare at me when I walk past in the corridors. As if being one of the rare blondes at the school, I also happen to be one of the few commoners who have actually made it into Ouran Academy on a scholarship. It's annoying. Even more so because they think I can't hear them.

"Is that the commoner? The one who got in on a scholarship?"

"Ya, I think it is! Just like Haruhi."

"Ooooh, Haruhi…He's so handsome and sweet…"

"I know! You know, I heard that he got the Host Club to drink commoner's coffee."

"Really?"

"Wow…He's so amazing…"

Cue the disgustingly romantic sighs. It made me laugh a bit, because I had met Haruhi, that time when I dropped my books in the middle of the hallway. I know because I heard a few girls whisper about him being so 'smart and sweet for helping the poor commoner pick up her books.' Haruhi was definitely _not _a guy. I mean, just look at those huge brown eyes! No guy alive has eyes that big.

It amazes me how just putting on a suit and joining a host club will get thousands of girls to believe you're a guy. It just goes to show how many possible homos there are in this school.

But, when meeting Haruhi, I also met someone else.

A ginger.

Who smiled at me.

I don't have very good experiences with gingers. I seriously believe they have no soul. You can blame my ex, James, for that.

But that backstory is for another time. Moral of story: Gingers aren't good for me. They literally kill my mojo. Not good.

But here I am, walking down the same hallway as the one that I had met them both, when shazam! I see them again. And I was hoping I wasn't going to see him…Just my luck.

"Hey! You're Elysia, right?" Haruhi waved at me, smiling.

"Um, ya. Thanks for helping me pick up my…umm…" I stumbled through my scratchy Japanese, trying to find the word that meant 'books.' I had only been here a month. You can't expect me to suddenly become a genius and learn 50 languages in five minutes.

"Books? Sure, no problem." She smiled again at me.

"Hey, Haruhi…are you a cross-dresser?" I smiled at her, winking so that she knew that I _knew._

"NO! I mean, no, Haruhi is not a cross-dresser. She, I mean, HE likes lots of manly things…like…monster trucks." The guy with the red hair parted to the right spoke to me, covering up Haruhi. Apparently, he had missed the hint. Come to think of it, he was the one who helped to pick up my books. What was his name again? I can't remember. Maybe he didn't say…

Haruhi laughed. "Kaoru, it's okay. She's not going to tell anyone. Right, Elysia?"

I snorted. "Well, obviously not. I mean, I would look like an insane freak if I ran around saying that you were actually a girl."

The guy sighed. "Fine," He immediately smiled at me and bowed. "Kaoru Hitachiin, same year as you, incredibly handsome and humor-"

"You're a ginger."

He seemed startled. I guess I would be too, if I was him. But I'm not, am I?

"So what's so wrong about being a ginger?" He crossed his arms, and glared at me.

"I've had bad experiences with gingers." I crossed my arms, mirroring him.

"Like what?"

"Like stuff an innocent child like you couldn't comprehend."

He blushed. I smiled. Win. Of course, that wasn't actually true. But it does help to shut someone up when they're annoying you about stuff like that.

Haruhi butted in. "So, Elysia, how about I introduce you to the other members of the Host Club? I'm sure they'll all be excited to meet you."

"Sure, I'd love to meet them." I smiled at Haruhi as she led me down the hallway and up some stairs to the end of a corridor with 'Music Room Three' written in Japanese on a sign hanging over a door. Kaoru walked behind us, sulking. I swear I could see a dark aura around him.

"Well, Elysia, here we go," Haruhi pushed open the door.

Rose petals flew gracefully out, landing on my shoulders.

"Welcome to the Host Club."


	3. Everywhere

**Props to TwistedWhiskers for finding the Dane Cook reference. He's awesome. Totally my fave comedian. Along with Gabriel Iglesias and Demitri Martin. **

**Sooo yaa….**

**I promised 5 paragraphs right?**

**Good. **

**So I'm almost….**

**Done. **

**DISCLAIMER: I had another dream last night. But this time, I was wearing a big flowy dress (I don't like those types of dresses) and sitting on the back of a unicorn while this guy with brown hair serenaded "Rhythm of Love" to me. **

**Needless to say, I woke up really confused with that song stuck in my head. You understand how I can't possible own OHSHC now right? **

_Everywhere _

"Welcome to the Host Club."

I watched as Elysia stepped into the room with an awed look on her face. Tamaki appeared in front of her, as if from thin air.

"Welcome, my dear. And who might you be?" He twirled a piece of her curly hair in his hands.

"She's Elysia." Haruhi stepped forward from behind said girl. Tamaki gave Haruhi a look.

"Yes, she knows about me." Tamaki's face immediately lit up.  
>"Haruhi! Oh, it's so great to see you! It's been such a long time! I missed you so much!"<p>

"Tamaki, it's been an hour."

"But still!"

"Haruhi, Tamaki, please don't be so rude, and invite the guest in." Kyoya materialized behind Tamaki, writing who-knows-what on his clipboard.

"Oh no, it's fine. I'm like Haruhi, so this is all new to me." Elysia walked slowly around the room, studying every little detail.

"So…you're a cross-dresser too?" My annoying twin came up behind her. She twirled around, anger in her eyes. She looked really pretty when she was angry…

"No! Of course not! Do I look like a guy to you? I meant that I'm a commoner! IDIOT!" She whirled in a rage, shoving past Hikaru.

"What'd I say?" He looked at me.

"She's got a thing against gingers." I shrugged, staring after her.

"Dang. Looks like you've got no chance."

"I know….Wait, what?"

"Who are you?" Honey came up and tugged on Elysia's shirt. Looking down on him, I saw her eyes light up with adoration.

"I'm Elysia. And you are?"

Honey twirled, holding his stuffed rabbit close. "I'm Honey, and this is Ousa-chan! And that's Mori. Can I call you Ely-chan?"

"Um, yeah, I guess you can."

Mori appeared in front of her, bowed, and lightly pressed his lips to her fingertips. A wave of jealousy flowed through me, watching him do that. Actually, all of the attention she was getting, especially from Hikaru, who kept trying to get her to notice him, was really annoying me.

Wasn't she considered only Haruhi and I's friend? I mean, we had met her first. Well, Hikaru was there too, but he didn't actually _talk _to her.

….

Okay, so what if I only said, like, two words to her? I still picked up her books. What did Hikaru do? Nothing. He just stood there. So he doesn't count.

"Kaoru! Kaoru? Earth to Kaoru!"

I snapped out of the trance I was in. "What?"

"Yeesh. Kaoru, this is why you don't have a girlfriend yet." Elysia stood in front of me, her fingers twisting one of her bangs around, looking slightly annoyed.

"As if I haven't heard that before. What do you want?"

"Well, Haruhi said that you'd be able to tell me where I can find a cuter dress than those ugly yellow monstrosities that the other high-and-mighty queens at this school wear."

I stared at her in confusion. "Why?"

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Didn't you hear Tamaki a few minutes ago? Apparently, he thinks that Haruhi needs another girl around because your manager what's-her-face-"

"What's-her-face?"

"I can't remember her name!"

"It's Renge."

"Okay, well then, because _Renge_ still thinks she's a guy and so won't be able to bring out Haruhi's 'feminine side,' as Tamaki calls it, so he's having me join the host club-"

"Wait, WHAT?"

Elysia just shook her head. "Ask Tamaki. I actually don't really understand it all that much myself. I do know one thing though." She poked me in the chest. "You are taking Haruhi and I dress shopping."

I glanced over at the idiotic blonde that had come up with this plan. He smiled at me, and gave me a thumbs-up. Hikaru stood off to the right of him, giving me a smug smile.

He obviously must think that I like this girl.

Judging by the look on Hikaru's face, he must've told him.

Note to self: Never tell Hikaru anything personal, again.

* * *

><p>"What about….this one?" Elysia pulled out a green dress that had a slit up the leg.<p>

"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I doubt that you'll be able to wear that to school," Haruhi said from behind the racks. "Try picking something that at least has _some _yellow in it."

Haruhi and Elysia were at my house, picking through my mother's latest collection of sundresses. Hikaru and I were lounging about, me because I had to, Hikaru because he wanted to see Haruhi in a dress. Except, with the way he was looking at Elysia as she held up the green dress, I think he had lied to me when he told me that.

"Elysia, why don't you pick one of the ones over here?" Haruhi motioned with her hand to a rack that was full of white and yellow dresses.

Elysia grumbled a bit, but went over. "Why do I even half to wear a dress?"

"It's normal dress code, for one. Two, guys don't really like girls in jeans compared to a girl in a dress. Three, it'll make you more popular with your clients." Hikaru stated from his spot on a couch in front of the dressing room.

"Clients?" Elysia pulled an assortment of yellow dresses and threw them into the dressing room, then closed the curtain.

"Ya. Each of us have clients, whom we entertain. They come to each of us based on our personality types. We're the 'forbidden brotherly love' twins." Hikaru continued, twirling some string in between his fingers.

"Wonder what my personality type will be." Elysia came out wearing a stunning spaghetti-strapped sundress that was almost the same mustard-y color as the normal school uniform, but had a little more gold in it. It flowed around her, following her every curve. "Well?" She twirled.

"Yes." Hikaru's jaw dropped.

"Mmhmmm. I think it works." Haruhi nodded at her.

She turned towards me. "And Mr. Ginger over there?"

"Hey! I'm ginger too!" Hikaru said glumly from his seat on the sofa.

"But you aren't the first one I met. Therefore, Kaoru gets to be Mr. Ginger, and you're just…Hikaru."

"Well I feel loved." He sat in his own little puddle of depression while I surveyed Elysia's dress.

"I like it, but I feel like it needs something more," I looked around at my mother's accessories. A white rose clip was piled among the hair accessories.

I positioned it so that one side of her bangs was tucked underneath it, pinning them up, so only the other side fell down across her eyes. "Perfect."

Elysia spun in front of the mirror. She smiled. "This is _waaay _better than those poofy things the other girls have to wear."

* * *

><p><em>(2 weeks later) <em>

Elysia was fitting in with the Host Club just fine, as far as I could see. It hurt a little though, to see her so surrounded by admirers every day. Many of whom were excruciatingly painful to watch flirt with her.

But she was sweet and refined when she turned them down. Most of the time, they barely noticed that she had refused their requests. It was good to know that she had a talent for being subtle. I even saw Kyoya one time smile a bit when she graciously accepted a red carnation, then secretly slip it on top of one of Honey's cakes, so it looked like a decoration.

Out of the actual Host Club members, she seemed closest to Honey, Haruhi, Mori, and sometimes, if she felt like being nice, me. Honey loved her, even more so than he did Haruhi. Every time she walked into the room, he would run at her and jump in to her arms, yelling, "ELY-CHAN!" the whole way. It was funny to watch.

After watching Honey's daily greet-Elysia-in-a-way-so-that-she-falls-down, Tamaki pulled me aside. "Kaoru, I've got to ask you something."

"What's up, boss?"

"Are you okay with Elysia coming to our ball?"

I stared at him, stunned. Elysia? Coming to _our _ball?

"Well, yeah, I guess so. Why?"

Who would she dance with? The other Host Club members?

"No reason, really. Kyoya just wanted me to make sure that everyone was alright with the idea."

"Oh. But whose going to entertain her? We'll all be dancing with the other clients."

What would she wear? She's a commoner, so I don't think she'd be able to afford a ball gown…

"I shall be inviting a few select members of her many clients to be her entourage. Not many, maybe 10 or so…"

"10? You've got to be kidding me! She's already got us! Why would she need 10?"

"Because. It's not like we're going to be dancing with her all night, are we?"

"I guess…" I shrugged and walked away, back to where Hikaru sat, waiting for me.

Challenge accepted.

* * *

><p><em>(Two weeks before the ball) <em>

"Let's play the Which One is Hikaru game!" Hikaru and I spun around, putting on our green caps to cover which way our hairlines parted.

"Hmm…let's see….I think you're Hikaru, and you're Kaoru!" One of our clients pointed at me for 'Hikaru' and Hikaru for 'Kaoru.' But Kyoya always said to let the guests win once in a while. Since the last time we played it, the girl guessed wrong, we let her win.

"Correct!"

"Not." Elysia walked over, and sat on the sofa next to the girl. She smiled at her. My heart flipped a little.

"That one there is Hikaru," She pointed to the actual Hikaru. "and the other is Kaoru. It's not about what they look like. You have to listen to their voices." She got up and sauntered away, but not before giving Hikaru and I smirks from behind the other chattering girls' backs. "Try harder next time." She mouthed, winking at us both.

Blondes apparently aren't as idiotic as I thought they were.

"Oh yeah, and Hikaru?" Elysia twirled back around to face us. Hikaru smiled at her.

"Yes, madame?"

"Save me a dance." It was more of a command rather than a request. And it made my blood boil.

"Of course." Hikaru bowed towards her as she turned away.

One question remained on my mind the rest of the day.

Why _him?_


	4. Preparations

**Didn't you guys just lllooooovvveeee that last chapter? Cuz I did. I think I made it kind of long though…. **

**This isn't the ball chapter. Just wanted to let you know. I'm doing that next chapter from Kaoru's POV. More interesting that way.**

**Sooo yaaa….this was a kind of boring author's note….**

**Disclaimer: **_**Nope. No I do not.**_** Just give 'em the face….he don't want your dollar…**

**Gotta love quoting your favorite Youtube video. **

_Preparations _

"So, what exactly is this ball we're having?" I was walking down the hall with Haruhi towards our class. I was still a little confused as to what the heck I was supposed to be doing about the ball. Everyone else was in charge of something.

Honey and Mori-Food

Tamaki and Kyoya-Decorations

Kaoru and Hikaru-Dress

Haruhi-Help out wherever needed

Elysia- ;)

Yes. That's the actual list. I saw it on Kyoya's clipboard. I peeked when he wasn't looking. I have a feeling Tamaki wrote it. However, I have no idea what the heck ';)' is supposed to mean.

"It's sort of an annual thing. They use it for promotional reasons, I guess. Either that, or just for fun. I'm not entirely that sure. I just know that all members are required to attend." Haruhi responded.

"Did you see what you're supposed to be doing for it?"

"Ya. Tamaki told me. I'm just supposed to help out wherever. It's kind of strange. Then again, I'm sure Tamaki's just spoiling me. As always."

"At least you get something to do. I glanced at the list, and all that's under my name is a winky face. What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"I have no idea. They don't tell me anything."

"That's reassuring."

"Elysia!" Tamaki pulled me over to him. We were having a meeting about the ball, and Tamaki was arranging everything, with Kyoya right behind him, correcting him if something didn't make sense.

Which was a lot.

"What, Tamaki?"

"You go stand next to Kaoru." I turned back to glance at Kaoru, who looked about as shocked as I did.

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"JUST GO STAND NEXT TO HIM!" Tamaki pushed me over to Kaoru, hard enough that I couldn't stop myself from running into him. And then, since Kaoru wasn't expecting me to come flying at him, I knocked him over, so that we were lying on top of each other.

Our noses were touching and I gazed wide-eyed into his olive ones. He stared back at me. It felt like forever, but I knew for a fact that we had only been like that for about three seconds. Almost the second we had fallen down, I had gotten back up, off of him.

"Yeesh, Tamaki. You didn't need to push so hard." I mumbled, smoothing my dress down, and fixing the straps.

"I know. He's so….insistent sometimes." Kaoru whispered back. I turned to see him up and smiling at me. Standing about two inches away from me. I blushed.

"You're standing kind of close."

"Do you want me to move away? Your hair just smells so wonderful." He grabbed one of my bangs, and pulled it over to him, dragging me along with it. He gave me a seductive smile.

I pushed him away, turning around and crossing my arms so I wouldn't have to look at him. "You disgust me sometimes."

"You said 'sometimes.'" He came closer.

"Did I say sometimes? I meant always." I walked to the other side of the couch, and sat down, making sure to sit next to the arm of it, with Hikaru on my other side, so he couldn't molest me any more.

While that had been going on, Tamaki had just continued with the job-briefing, as if nothing had happened.

"Are you okay?" Hikaru whispered to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Your brother's a pervert though."

He laughed softly. "We're all perverts at one point or another here. You just have to get used to it. Especially since you _look _like a girl in public. Haruhi has to dress like a guy, so we can't be that weird with her."

"That's just great." I sighed, and listened to the rest of the meeting, trying not to pay attention to how close both of the twins were getting to me.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe Tamaki paired us up together."<p>

"_I _can't believe that I have to go dress shopping with you. Again, if I might add."

"Well, I'm so sorry that I'm poor."

"Yeah. And I'm sorry that my mother's a fashion designer."

"At least Hikaru isn't here right now."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because then he'd make me try on that thing over there. Whatever it is." I pointed to a black dress that started below the collar bone, and stopped 2 inches down your thighs.

"Just go pick a dress. I'll be sleeping." Kaoru went over to the couch in front of the dressing room, and laid down upon it.

"Fine. Gosh. Be that way." I huffed, and began to pick through the dresses. In a few minutes, I began to hear the deep breathing of Kaoru sleeping. Peeking between the racks, I saw him sprawled across the couch, fast asleep. I laughed a little. He actually looked kind of cute when he was sleeping.

Wait. Cute? Kaoru? I must be going crazy.

I sighed, and went back to picking through the multitude of gowns. I found three that I liked. I tried them all on, and went out to spin in front of the mirror. One's neckline was too low, and another's sleeves were kind of retarded looking. I picked the last one, a gorgeous ice blue dress, with roses acting as a fake strap, making it look one-shouldered from the front, and strapless from the back. It hugged my body until it reached right above my hip, then it fanned out gracefully to the floor, even giving me a train. It looked rather plain, given the other majestic dresses that were surrounding me, but I liked it. It somehow symbolized me.

I took it off, and folded it carefully into a bag. I didn't want to wake up Kaoru, so I left him a note and put it on his chest, so that he would notice it. I took longer than probably necessary to do so. He looked so angelic asleep. Almost like he could do no wrong.

Without realizing what I was about to do, I leaned over, and kissed him on the cheek. It was involuntarily done, I swear. It's not like my conscious would have _let _me kiss the idiot. But I did.

At least he was asleep.

The last thing I needed was for him to think that I actually liked him. Because I didn't. I swore off gingers after James.

I was still trying to convince myself that I didn't like him, that it was only because we were close friends that I kissed him, when I left.

I was almost to my house when I realized that I was wearing lipstick.

Kaoru now had a faint pink kiss mark on his cheek.

I was so screwed.

* * *

><p><em>(Tomorrow's the ball) <em>

I ignored him this whole week.

The good thing: He didn't notice the mark.

The bad thing: Hikaru did.

Recounting the events from the day after the kiss happened:

_"Hey Kaoru, what's that mark on your cheek?" _

_ Kaoru touched his face. "What? Where?" _

_ "Right here." Hikaru leaned forward, licked his finger, and started to rub the mark off. They were in front of their guests, so Hikaru was sticking to their 'forbidden brotherly love' personality-types. _

_ I glanced over as he was doing it, and Hikaru winked at me. He knew. _

_ I blushed and turned away. _

_ "Do you know how you got it?" _

_ "Nope. Do you?" _

_ "Yes." My heartbeat quickened. _

_ "How?" _

_ "Remember that strawberry I was feeding you last night? It must've been that." _

_ "Ooh, Hikaru, you're so clumsy when you give me food." _

_ "I can't help it. I just shake when you're so close to me…" _

_ Proceed on with the fake-homo stuff that all the girls adore. _

_ I felt myself relax. I totally owed Hikaru for that… _

Flashback: OVER.

Hikaru, however, kept holding it over my head.

Until today, that is.

"Hey, Elysia!" Hikaru ran to catch up with me.

"Yeah?"

"I figured out how you can repay me for that little cover-up I did."

"Oh great. How?"

"You'll see. At the ball."

"So why'd you bring it up now?" I looked at him in confusion. He just gave me a sneaky smile.

"So that you'd be prepared. _Ciao!"_ He turned and ran off again.

What had I gotten myself into?


	5. Wanting

**Hey guys, just so ya know, I actually changed it. There isn't going to be a ball. So, you might as well just start over and read the last three chapters again. Cuz, I changed them all. **

**PSYCH! I'm just kidding. Not like any of you guys fell for that anyways. I'm not very good at practical jokes. **

**Except spraying whipped cream on someone's face. That I'm good at. **

**DISCLAIMER: Ya. Don't own it. Don't own Kaoru. BUT I WILL MEET HIM SOMEDAY! **

* * *

><p><em><span>Wanting<span>_

"Ladies, and gentlemen, we welcome you to the annual Ouran Host Club Ball! Please, enjoy yourselves, as we are all at your disposal. Refreshments are in the salon." Tamaki bowed as he and the rest of us stood at the top of the staircase, looking down upon all of the girls in beautiful dresses, and the guys who were chatting amiably with anyone who stood near them.

They all looked so happy and ecstatic about the ball. I felt the complete opposite. The one girl that I had been looking forward to dancing with all week wasn't there. I hadn't even been awake to see her dress.

"What's wrong, Kaoru?" Hikaru came up to me. "You look kind of glum."

"Guess why?"

"Well, I know that Honey and Mori couldn't import your favorite eclairs, soo…"

"Sad excuse you are for a brother."

"I'm just teasing. Besides, Elysia probably just got caught up in traffic or something."

"Traffic? It's midnight, Hikaru."

"Well, maybe there's maybe midnight traffic for commoners…."

"Think realistically, Hikaru."

"Kauro, I'm sure that there's no problem with it, okay? Elysia is probably just late because she spent too long getting ready."

"Well, I guess that could be true…"

"Just enjoy yourself, okay? There are dozens of beautiful girls here who all want to dance with you. Pick one and go." Hikaru smiled, then walked away to go melt some random girl's heart.

I sighed, but went towards the cluster of girls staring at me with hearts in their eyes anyways. _But the only girl I want to dance with is her… _

"Excuse me, miss, but would you care to dance?" I smiled at a girl wearing a hideously decorated dress, with beads, jewels, and embroidered flowers all over. Might as well give her a chance. Maybe she had a good sense of humor.

"Umm, why, yes, I'd be delighted to." She smiled wide at me, took my hand, and I led her and her poofy dress onto the dance floor. We were waltzing to one of the songs when I heard the doors at the top of the staircase open, and saw the most beautiful girl I had ever seen stop at the top of the steps.

Her long golden hair fell in ringlets around her face, traveling all the way down her back. An ice blue rose was pinned in her hair, holding some of her bangs back. Her dress fell gracefully around her, an ice blue, that was decorated simply with a few roses at the very top. I could see her look around at all of us, everyone staring at her like she was some kind of goddess. The herald blew his trumpet and then announced, as he had done with everyone, "Ms. Elysia Curran has arrived."

I stared at her in shock. There was NO WAY that was Elysia.

Elysia walked slowly down the stairs, all eyes still upon her. I saw Hikaru make his way through the crowd towards her. Bowing low, I saw him offer her his hand. She smiled gratefully at him, accepted, and soon they were both whirling around the dance floor, which everyone else had vacated so that the two could dance. Many were still shocked at the transformation Elysia had undergone.

Her blue-ish gray eyes sparkled in the light, her cheeks blushing with everyone watching. Her lips were a beautiful pink rose color, and her eyelashes were dark with mascara.

In other words, she looked more gorgeous than any other girl in the room.

And she wasn't dancing with me, oh no. She was dancing with my idiotic brother.

So much for dancing every dance with her. That kind of blew up in my face.

I turned toward the, erm, _young, _girl I had been waltzing with a few seconds ago. Smiling, I bowed. "I'm extremely sorry, miss, but I need some air. Would you please excuse me for awhile? I'm certain that the other hosts would be overjoyed to entertain you until then."

The girl was staring at me, joy filling her eyes. "Y-yes, of course, Kaoru. Pl-please do."

I bowed once more, then turned to leave, heading for the balcony. Some air would be good for me. Especially since I felt like I was going to pass out soon.

I walk towards the balcony, the gilded doors thrown wide open to let the cool, spring air in. I smiled as I breathed in the scent of cherry blossoms. They reminded me of Elysia, the way her hair curled just perfectly around her neck, how whenever she laughed, her eyes would close and she'd throw her head back…

And how she was standing in front of me.

I dove behind the door, peeking out to see that, thank goodness, she wasn't facing me. Instead she was whispering urgently to another redhead. Hikaru.

I would've snuck closer to hear what they were talking about, but, sadly, Tamaki had not arranged for an abnormally large potted plant to be placed upon the balcony. Sighing, I moved away from the balcony. Judging from the way Hikaru's face looked, it seemed like he was asking Elysia to do something for him.

I hope it wasn't anything _extreme, _if you know what I mean.

Now extremely dejected, I wandered back into the ballroom.

"Kaoru-chan! Kaoru-chan!" Honey came bounding up to me in a baby blue tuxedo. Ousa-chan was tucked protectively underneath his arm, and in his other hand, a cupcake.

"Kaoru-chan, you have to try the cake! It's delicious! Takashi, tell him!" Honey tugged on the tail of Mori's jacket.

"Mitsukuni, you shouldn't be eating so much," Mori swiped the cake from a depressed-looking Honey.

"But Taaakaaasshiii-"

"No." Mori walked away, holding the cupcake as a sad-eyed Honey followed after him. I smiled as I watched the two. Only Mori could do that to Honey and still be living right now.

"What are you laughing at?" I heard a voice from behind me. Sweet, but with a hint of devil in it. Like they were about to kill somebody, then hide the knife in someone else's hands.

The perfect combination of sounds.

I turned to see a beautiful girl whom I wished with all my heart would see me as something more than a homosexual twit.

"Elysia."


	6. Oh gods no

**HIIII! Back again. I'm kind of in love with this story, so I hope none of you mind if I spend the rest of my life on it. **

**HAHAHAHAH jk. BTW, they're still at the ball. Just now its from Elysia's POV. And guys, check out my friend DiamondRainbows profile. She doesn't have many stories up, but she's still amazinngggggg.**

**DISCLAIMER: I played DDR with my friend in PE yesterday. It was all in Japanese. We didn't understand ANY of it. Do you think someone who can't read the 'Caution' sign on DDR owns Ouran High School Host Club?**

**I didn't think so. **

_Oh gods no..._

I peeked out from behind the velvet curtain, spying on the teenagers below. The skirt of my blue dress swished as I tried to keep it hidden. Thankfully, no one looked up at the staircase, because apparently, that's considered a 'faux pas' in the social world, as Kyouya told me. Of course, he didn't use French, but the Japanese he spoke kind of sounded like that.

I glanced back at the impatient herald, who was fingering his jacket and glaring at me. Apparently, being late was a 'faux pas' in the social world too.

It wasn't _my _fault that the carriage Kyouya had ordered for me had broken down in the middle of the road. It wasn't _my _fault that I chose to run the rest of the way instead of waiting for some slow repairman to come ambling around the road to fix the carriage.

Actually, that part might've been my fault…

But, anyways, I had made it, even if the road had been muddy. Some maids were cleaning my ballet flats, and another had washed the hem of my dress. Hopefully no one would notice the wet stains at the bottom.

"Milady, here are your slippers." One of the maids walked quickly over to me and helped me put them on. I would've done it myself, but if you've ever worn a ballgown, then you know exactly how hard it is to bend over in one.

I smiled at her. "_Arigato, _for everything."

The maid looked surprised. "_K-kangei_. Do hurry, miss. The herald is getting anxious." She gave me a quiet smile, then left, walking swiftly back to wherever she came from.

I sighed as I watched her go, then peeked out of the curtain again. Looking at the dancefloor, I saw the Hosts twirling their partners around. However, I only saw one redhead. Looking closely, I recognized him as Kaoru.

Dancing with some girl who looked like she had just had a make-up counter explode over her face and dress.

_Was that the kind of girl that Kaoru likes? _I glanced down at my simple dress, now unsure as to whether I should go out in it, or change.

The herald, apparently done with waiting, pulled back the curtain. I took a deep breath.

_No going back now. _

I walked slowly down the staircase, just as Mori had taught me, not looking at anyone in particular, just kind of scanning the crowd. My eyes halted a bit on Kaoru, who was staring at me with his mouth agape, but I urged them to move over him and kept looking.

When I reached the bottom of the staircase, everyone was _still_ staring at me. No one moved forward to dance, or say hello, or anything. Then I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"May I have this dance?" Hikaru appeared, and offered his hand. Smiling gratefully at him, I took it, and we began to waltz.

"Elysia, you look beautiful tonight." Hikaru smiled at me as we spun around the ballroom.

"Are you sure? With everyone watching me, it feels like there's something wrong with my hair, or that they can-" My eyes widened. _What if they noticed the stains? _

"They can what?"

"It's nothing."

"It isn't 'nothing,' Elysia. Why do you look so scared?"

"I don't want anyone to notice, so just glance down at the hem of my dress, okay?"

He smiled seductively at me. "Are you _implying _something, Elysia?"

I felt my face heat up. "NO! Of course not, you idiot! Just look."

Hikaru, still smiling, winked at me and subtly glanced down. His eyes returned to mine a moment later, slightly puzzled.

"I don't see anything. Was I supposed to?"

I sighed with relief. They must've dried up before I walked down the staircase. "Thank goodness."

"Why were you so late?"

"Is it just me, or is this song really long?" Other couples were now swirling around us, so we didn't stand out as much.

"Don't change the subject."

"The carriage broke down, so I had to run all the way here."

"In your dress?" Hikaru stared at me, astonished.

"Yep. That's why I was worried. The maids had to clean off my hem and my slippers, and I was hoping that you guys wouldn't notice the water stains."

"I get it now." The song came to a close, and Hikaru began leading me off of the dancefloor, but instead of dropping me off at the side and choosing another partner, he led me onto the balcony.

"Hikaru? What are you doing?"

"We need to talk about your debt to me." Hikaru spun to face me, leaning against the railing, a smirk on his face.

"Oh, great." I just knew it was going to be something incredibly mortifying, like having to spend an entire day with him, or being his slave for a month, or-

"You are going to sleepover at our house tomorrow."

Or that.

I felt my face heat up, and I ran my fingers through my hair, a nervous habit I've had since I was little, and one of the reasons why I never wore my hair down.

"Hikaru, I can't do that!"

"Well, I guess I can just tell Kaoru that you made-out with him the other day while he was asleep."

"I didn't make out with him! It was a kiss on the cheek!" I whispered angrily, hoping that no one had heard Hikaru.

"Then, you'll do it." Hikaru grabbed my chin, and lifted it to look at him. Curse him and his height. "Or I just might let it…_slip._" He leaned down close to me, our noses practically touching.

"H-H-Hikaru…."

"Mmmhmm?" He leaned closer, our lips less than ten centimeters away from each other.

"C-could y-you p-please," I gulped, regaining my power of speech. "back away from me?"

"But, why?" His eyes bore into mine. "You look so _tantalizing _from this angle."

"Well, then, can't I look _tantalizing _from the other end of the balcony?" My sarcasm was coming back too. Thank the gods.

"Nooope. Right here is just…_perfect."_ Hikaru started to move forward, his fingers still grasping my chin, and I shut my eyes tightly, scared of what was coming.

_If he takes my first kiss, I'm going to murder him in his sleep… _

Instead of feeling pressure on my lips, I felt it on my neck. Opening my eyes, I realized that Hikaru was _nuzzling, _yes, _nuzzling _my neck. I sighed with relief. I didn't even care that he was pretty much raping my neck.

"Hikaru, can we please go inside? I'm freezing out here." In truth, I never get cold, so I was fine, but I wanted to go see the others and get away from Hikaru. The latter being first and foremost.

"Of course. Wouldn't want you to miss your first ball, do we?" He let go of me, and offered me his arm. I took it, and we walked back inside. The second the light hit my face, I let go of Hikaru, and wandered around in the crowd. I saw a flash of red, and saw Honey holding Ousa-chan in his hands, looking sadly at Mori, who was holding a cupcake. A familiar wave of red hair was standing in front of them, looking like he was trying not to laugh. I came up behind him just as Honey and Mori walked away.

"What are you laughing at?" Kaoru turned around, and his eyes widened when he saw me.

"Elysia."

"Who'd you think it was?"

"I-I don't know. Maybe Haruhi or someone else…" He gazed around as if trying to remember one of his clients' names.

"Last I checked, Haruhi isn't wearing a dress, and she's, excuse me, _he's_ out dancing with another client."

"Oh. Right."

Right then, the girl on which that poor make-up counter had exploded on appeared. She smiled shyly at Kaoru, which to me looked more like she planned on killing him.

"Umm, K-Kaoru? W-would you like to, umm, d-dance with me?" She fidgeted around with her dress, making all of the lace that had probably died during the making of the garment flutter around.

Kaoru, in a perfect gentlemanly manner, bowed towards her. Jealousy washed over me.

Why? I don't know. It's not like I _loved _Kaoru, like this girl thought she did. I didn't even really _like _Kaoru. So why was I feeling envious of her?

"I'm very sorry, milady, but I've already promised the next dance to Elysia." He glanced at me, and I saw complete desperation in his eyes. He really didn't like this girl. I felt myself lighten considerably. _He didn't like her, he didn't like her… _

I took the hand he held out for me, and was dragged to the dance floor. We began to waltz, and Kaoru gazed at me with appreciation.

"Thank you so much for getting me out of there."

I smirked. "You don't like her?"

He grimaced. "Not so much."

I gave him a fake quizzical look. "Really? Because I thought that her dress, with all the ribbons and bows, went very well with her make-up. Though why she thought this was a costume party and dressed up as a zombie from the 60's amazes me…"

He laughed, and smiled at me. "I never thought of it that way."

"Well, most people don't," He twirled me around, and we continued to dance. "I'm just one of the few that do."

"Insightful." Kaoru twirled me once more, and the music ended. **(A/N: Before you read the next part, go to YouTube and type in "Goodnight Moon" by Go Radio. Listen to it as you read. You'll know when to turn it on.) **

I saw Kaoru glance towards the crowd, and he nodded in the direction of the girl. She was waiting impatiently for her turn.

"One more dance?" He looked at me.

I smiled. "It couldn't hurt to do it once more."

What we didn't realize was that a slow song had begun. "Goodnight Moon" to be specific. It was one of my favorites.

Kaoru placed his arms around my waist, and I glanced at the other couples' on the dance floor to figure out what to do.

"First time slow dancing?" Kaoru was trying not to smirk.

I glared at him. "Don't laugh."

He just smiled, and took my hands, placing them around his neck. Replacing his arms around my waist, he started to sway.

"Follow my lead."

"As if I have a choice."

For a little bit, we stood kind of tensely. Or at least, I did. I began to relax, though, and soon my head was resting on his chest. I could hear his heartbeat going faster.

Tilting my head upwards, I caught Kaoru gazing at me, the exact words of the song echoing through his eyes.

"_And there you were/As I saw my Juliet come graceful down the stairs/It's hard to miss the way her eyes light up the room/ And steal the air…" _

"Kaoru?"

"Yes, Elysia?" He moved closer.

"Do…do you…" I was mimicking his movements, both of us leaning closer to each other, with our noses touching. This was much better than Hikaru.

"Do I what, Elysia?" His eyes sparkled as we leaned even closer.

"Do you really think that you're in-" The song began to end, the couples moved off the dance floor. I stopped my sentence, and gazed at Kaoru.

Except that Kaoru wasn't Kaoru anymore. He was James. A James who was smiling evilly at me, his hand raised, ready to slap me across my face.

I backed away from James or Kaoru or whoever the person in front of me was.

"I-I don't…" James kept moving towards me, his grin growing wider. "want to… remember…" James reached out his hand, trying to grab mine. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed at him, not caring that everyone was staring at me, just wanting to get as far away as possible from him. I pushed through the crowd of teenagers, heading to the top of the staircase. I turned to see James coming after me. I grabbed the nearest thing I could find, which turned out to be a vase, and threw at him. Not stopping to see if it hit him or not, I continued sprinting towards the door.

_I have to get out of here….He'll come after me…I don't want to move…not again… _

I threw open the heavy doors, and ran off into the night, not caring the slightest bit that my dress would be ruined or that my shoes would get dirty. I headed towards the only place I knew I was safe.

Home.


	7. Recovery

**Wasn't that just the best ending ever! BTW, we have STAR testing this week. Those of you who don't know what that is, its basically a stupid test that comes in parts and takes a week to finish. But the good thing about it: I GET TO PLAY CARD GAMES WITH MY BESTEST FRIEND EVER! **

** Michael. He's awesssommmeeee. And we're married. At least, according to MASH we are.**

**And Le Dancing Flamingo, thank you so much for the correction. I'll change it as soon as I can. **

**Just so you guys know just how much I care, this chapter alone took 20 Microsoft Word pages. **

**Yeah. Be thankful. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA jk. I love you guys. Almost as much as I love Michael.**

**Disclaimer: Look at last chapter's. Or the one before that. Or the one before that. Or the one before that. Or the one before that. Or the one before that. **

_Recovery_

"HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO STUPID!" I threw yet another chair at the wall. It splintered into pieces, and yet I still wasn't satisfied. "OF COURSE SHE'S SCARED OF ME! TRYING TO MAKE A MOVE ON HER WHILE WE'RE DANCING! SHE ONLY DANCED WITH ME TO HELP ME OUT! HOW COULD I EVER THINK IT WAS ANYTHING MORE THAN THAT! AAAAUUUUGGGHHHHHH!" Another chair, along with a vase, were thrown to their deaths against the wall.

"I don't get why you're so upset, Kaoru," Hikaru was leaning against a wall, far away from me, looking at his nails as if he had just done something he was incredibly proud of.

"Sshh! Hika-chan!" Honey and Mori were sitting closer to me, aware that I could turn on them at any moment, but considering they're both practically ninjas, I wasn't going to try.

I turned towards Hikaru, fire burning in my eyes. "WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?"

Hikaru smiled. "I didn't know that there were sides. I'll go with neutral."

"HIKARU!" Honey stood up, glaring at Hikaru. Both of us stared in shock at Honey. He never called Hikaru by his full name. Never.

"Hikaru, stop that this instant!" His face was completely serious, losing its young appearance, and reminding us that he was, in fact, older than us. One of the reasons I had come to the dojo in the first place. Because I knew that Honey, if not Mori, would understand that I needed to break some things.

"Kaoru, why don't you tell Hikaru the real reason you're throwing things at a wall." Honey made it sound more like a statement than a question.

"But-"

"Tell him."

I sighed, and took a deep breath, trying to calm all of my emotions. "You don't know, Hikaru?"

"I'd be delighted if you told me."

I smiled a little. "Sad excuse you are for a brother."

Hikaru gave me a broad grin. "I'm just teasing, Kaoru. It's because you've finally seen her, right? You finally know what she looks like in your eyes."

"Actually, I'm not completely sure what you're talking about…" I lunged toward another vase, but Mori grabbed it out of my hands with lightning fast reflexes.

Honey sighed. "He means you're in love, Kaoru. Correct?"

I stopped trying to get the vase, and thought of Elysia. The way her hair sometimes fell in her eyes, and how her eyes sparkled when she laughed. How I loved to make her blush, and watch her as she gazed outside the window. Or how she bit her lip whenever she got to an interesting part in her favorite book. Even when she got mad at me, and left in a huff.

I sunk to the floor. "It would seem so."

"By the way, about last night…"

"Don't bring it up, Hikaru."

He held up his hands in surrender. "I was just going to say that before you danced with her, Elysia and I were talking, and she agreed to come over to our house tonight."

"WHAT?" I stared at him in shock. "WHY THE HECK DID YOU DO THAT?"

"Because. I felt like it."

I tried to keep my emotions from boiling over. I stared at the ground for a while, then turned to Mori, giving him a sweet smile. "Mori, can I see that vase please?"

"Whoa, bro, you aren't seriously going to- OHMIGODS KAORU! PUT THE VASE DOWN!"

Sweet revenge.

"I still can't believe you actually hit me with that vase," Hikaru was rubbing his arm, trying to soothe the bruise that was there.

"You had it coming. Besides, I didn't actually hit you with it. I just threw at the wall next to you, and you freaked out and one of the larger shards hit you in the arm. Not that big of a deal." I was lounging on the bed. We had gotten back from the dojo a few hours earlier. Now, we were just waiting around until Elysia came.

If she came at all.

"'Not that big of a deal'? Kaoru, you almost cut me!"

"But I didn't, did I?"

"Well, yeah, but still!"  
>"Masters," Two of our twin maids were at our door. Both us turned toward them, hoping against hope that it was-<p>

"Elysia Curran is here."

We both glanced at each other, then sprinted down the hallway to the grand staircase. Hikaru got there before me, mainly because I was a little worried about seeing her again. What if she went beserk on me like she did at the ball? I really didn't want another object to come flying at me.

"ELYSIA!" Hikaru had enveloped poor Elysia in a death hug. Her bag was on the floor, and she was smiling up at me, like "Please save me from this _thing._"

"Hikaru, you might want to let go. I think she's losing oxygen." Hikaru pouted, but let go, and Elysia gave me a grateful look. I went over and hugged her. She smelled of something dark and secretive, but beautiful.

"So, what exactly do we do now?" She was gazing around at our mansion, taking in every detail, you could tell. Hikaru pointed upstairs.

"We're going to show you our room."

"Fantabulous. I've been here a minute and already you're trying to seduce me. I think that's a record, Hikaru." She rolled her eyes.

"Well, I like to make sure that you feel _welcome, _don't I? By the way, the way your hair smells today is just _luscious."_ He took one of her bangs, and began to sniff it all the way up to her cheek, giving her a quick peck before grabbing her bag and walking away with it.

Elysia and I just stood there, with her blushing, and me glaring at Hikaru as we had a silent conversation.

_Whose side are you on, anyways? _

_ Didn't I tell you? I'm neutral. _*smirk

_ Well, you don't have to do that. _

_ Actually, I really think I do. It helps. Notice how you get jealous when I do it? _

_ I DO NOT GET JEALOUS! _

_ Then why are you glaring at me right now? _

_ Yeesh, you're so annoying, Hikaru. _

_ More like 'yeesh, you're so __**right, **__Hikaru.' _

Don't ask me how we do that in the span of three seconds. It must be a twin thing.

"Are you two coming, or what?" Hikaru continued up the staircase.

"He's insufferable."

"It grows on you."

"Says you. You've been with him your whole life."

"Well….yeah…."

Elysia smirked, and started up the stairs. I was right behind her. Her hair was falling in ringlets down her back, and there was nothing more that I wanted to do than run my fingers through it.

But that would majorly creep her out. Especially after what happened at the ball.

I sighed. _I wish it had never happened… _

We had eaten dinner already, as our maids had brought it up to our room. Elysia was nursing a cup of coffee as we played a card game. I had just won the game, and Hikaru was sulking about it.

Elysia started to laugh. "Gosh, Hikaru, you're such a softie."

"Am not!"

"Are so!"

Hikaru smiled evilly. "If I'm such a softie, then why do I have a six-pack?" With that said, he took off his shirt, revealing his bare chest. Elysia immediately blushed and turned away.

"You know, I didn't mean it in that way…"

"Well still. You might as well enjoy the view. I'm going to be like this all night."

Elysia gazed at me, her eyes begging. "Please, Kaoru, I'll do anything, just make him put a shirt on!"

"Anything?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Anything."

"Okay then why did you go psycho on Kaoru at the ball?" Hikaru began to put his shirt back on, giving me a wink. We both knew it was an intrusive question, but it had been bothering both of us ever since it had happened.

Elysia's eyes glazed over a second. "Do I really have to tell you?"

"You know, they say that talking about stuff is the best kind of healing." I laid down on the carpet, propping my head up with my arms, and stared at her. Hikaru followed suit.

"Where'd you get that from? Dr. Phil?"

"Dr. Phil?" We both said in unison, looking at each other in confusion. Who the heck was that?

She sighed. "American therapist. Anyways, since Hikaru put his shirt back on, and I did promise, I guess I have to tell you. But I don't want you guys spreading it all over the school, okay? I trust you both." Her blue-ish gray eyes bore into us. Nodding in sync, we looked at her, waiting for the story.

Sighing again, she turned to gaze outside of the glass doorway that led to our private balcony. "I guess it all started in middle school. I was still pretty young, and it was at a time when every girl wanted a boyfriend, even if he was a jerk to her. I was always considered an outcast because I was smart, so I never got one. It probably helped that I wore glasses. In America, glasses aren't the most stylish thing to wear. So, after sixth grade, I went and got a whole makeover. I stopped trying to straighten my hair, let it go curly, got contacts, started wearing a little make-up, and got rid of my acne. Seventh grade came, and I became somewhat popular."

Hikaru paused her in her reminiscing and raised his hand. "You wore glasses?"

"Yep. I actually have them right now. I can't sleep with contacts in."

"Go put them on! And get in your pajamas. Then we can continue with the story." Hikaru jumped up and raced to our dresser, throwing some clothes at me. "Go get changed. NOW!"

He dragged me into the bathroom, leaving Elysia to get changed in peace.

After a couple of minutes, Hikaru knocked on the door, which was odd, considering _we _were the ones in the bathroom. "Are you done, Elysia?"

"Yes. You can come in. I want to get my story over with."

We opened the door, and I swear both mine and Hikaru's jaws dropped.

Elysia was lying on the bed, her legs in the air, reading a book. Her hair was still in a pony-tail, but now her large eyes were half-hidden behind a pair of rim-less glasses that were similar to Kyouya's, except they were brown on the edges. She wore a black spaghetti-strap tank-top, and black shorts with a gold pattern of tiny music notes on them, which showed off her long , slim legs. She looked up from reading her book, and my heart leaped in my chest.

If anything, she looked more gorgeous now then she ever did before. Her face blushed a little when she saw us, and she sat up, looking down at her pajamas. "Sorry, I don't really have very modest pajamas...my other pajama pants were in the wash, and so all I had was shorts. I can change back into jeans, if it makes you guys uncomfortable…"

"NO!" We both shouted. Glancing at each other, Hikaru and I smiled devilishly.

"I mean, Elysia, you shouldn't change, not after you've shown us _these._" Hikaru went over and slid his hand over her leg.

"I should've never come here."

"Oh come on, Elysia." I purred, walking over to her, too. "It's not that bad. You trust us, remember?" I put my head on her knees. "Now keep telling the story."

"Not until you guys are a minimum of five feet away from me." Elysia pushed my head off of her lap, and sat cross-legged on the bed.

"Fine." Both of us grumbled, but we backed up. Her story was more important to us than teasing her.

"Now keep going." Hikaru demanded, leaning forward on his elbows.

She sighed. "Fine. Where was I?"

"Seventh grade."

"Oh. Right. So, anyways, in seventh grade I became somewhat popular. People 'admired' me for my brain, but I think it was mainly because I looked good. I caught the attention of my crush, James Kasper."

"Lemme guess. He looks like us?" Hikaru commented. I was about ready to duct tape his mouth. I wanted to hear the rest of the story.

"Bingo. Except his eyes were blue, and he had a long scar running down his face. I think it was from a fight between him and a sophomore in high school. James decided he wanted me for his girlfriend, and when he asked me, I was overjoyed. I mean, who wouldn't be?"

"Well, I certainly wouldn't want to be asked out by this James guy…" I mumbled. Hikaru glanced at me.

_Shut up. _

_ Hypocrite. _

_ I wanna hear it though. _

_ So do I. Now shut up. _

_ Hypocrite. _

_ Really? Stealing __**my **__line? _

_ We're twins. Technically, it's__** our **__line. _

_ You're….insufferable. _

_ Hmm? Stealing Elysia's line? Hypocrite. _

_ You know what? Shut up. _

With that, I turned away and continued listening to Elysia. That conversation had lasted a few seconds, and Elysia was probably wondering why we were staring at each other. I motioned for her to continue.

"Anyways, I dated James for the rest of seventh grade, and he seemed like a great guy. Took me on dates, gave me his jacket when I was cold, always smiling and making me laugh. But, in eighth grade, all of that changed."

"James decided that, apparently, what we were doing as girlfriend and boyfriend wasn't enough. He kept pressuring me to do things that I didn't want to, and I had to use methods that I shouldn't have had to use just to keep him from kissing me. After a while, he started to get angry, and tried to control my life. He banned me from seeing all of my guy friends, just in case they 'got any ideas,' as he put it. He would blow up if I did something wrong, like went home from school without telling him, or sitting with my friends in the cafeteria instead of him. He began to hit me, throwing me against walls whenever we were alone. I began to fear him, and I was too scared to tell an adult, in case he went overboard and tried to kill me." Elysia paused for a moment, and I saw the beginnings of tears glistening in her eyes.

Hikaru and I were in shock, but we nodded for her to go on. We needed to hear the whole story. Down to the tiniest detail. We wanted Elysia to know that she was safe, especially with us.

"At one point, I tried to cancel one of our dates because I had a final coming up in math. He came anyways, and dragged me out of my house. When we came across an abandoned field, he took me outside and started to beat me. He took out a knife, and stabbed me in the back. Nowhere life-threatening, but it hurt like heck. He left me there, driving off without saying another word. The good thing was that I had my cell phone, and I dialed the paramedics right after he had left. They successfully removed the knife, and the doctor told me that I didn't have any internal damage. I have a huge scar on my back because of it though."

"Can we see it?" I asked quietly. Elysia nodded, and turned around, lifting up her shirt. Instead of a long scar, there was a tattoo of an incredibly detailed white rose with a short stem and precise white leaves coming off of the stem.

"I got a tattoo to cover it up so that no one would notice it. Like if I wore a two-piece bathing suit, or something."

"You're parents let you get a tattoo?" Hikaru asked, incredulous.

Elysia pulled down her tank-top, and turned back to face us. "Ya. They felt horrible about not being able to see that James was abusing me. Especially when I would come home from a 'date' with him and have bruises up and down my arms. They thought I was just clumsy. Tripping over curbs and such."

"So…after the surgery…"I continued, trying to get Elysia back on track.

"Right. After the surgery, I was too scared to go back to school, in case James came upon me again. I have a feeling he thought that I died that night. So, my dad decided to get a transfer. He asked his boss, but his boss said that the only transfer available was to Japan. Deciding it was better than nothing, my parents enrolled me in a middle school, where I took the scholarship test to get into Ouran. I passed, and now, here I am."

"Sitting in a bedroom-" I started.

"with two obnoxious redheads?" Hikaru finished my sentence. Again, a twin thing.

Elysia laughed, although I could still see some remnants of tears in her eyes. "Yep. Great life, huh?"

I got up, and went to hug her. Hikaru did the same. Elysia smiled at us when we broke apart.

"You guys are the best."

"YES! WE HAVE GAINED APPROVAL!" Hikaru threw his hands in the air and spun around.

"But, since I told you my life story pretty much, I get to ask both of you a question." Her eyes took on an evil twinkle. I didn't even know that twinkling eyes could look evil.

"Oh boy…" Hikaru and I both groaned.

"Hikaru," Elysia spun to face Hikaru. "This question is actually directed towards both of you, but it counts as Hikaru's question."

Hikaru fist-pumped. I hated him.

"How do you guys do the 'forbidden brotherly love' thing without going gay?"

Hikaru smiled mischievously. "Like this, my dear Elysia." In a second, he was holding my chin, tilting my face towards his. "Oh, Kaoru, I won't let anyone have you. I can't bear the thought of there being somebody else."

"Hikaru, you can't keep me forever." I gazed at him, playing along, my voice getting a tad 'scratchier,' as Elysia calls it.

"You just watch me." With that, Hikaru pulled me into his arms. Elysia burst out laughing.

"I…can't….believe….girls actually….fall…for that." She said in between fits of laughter.

I pouted. "Hey, I thought it was pretty good."

Hikaru shushed me. "But I'm not done yet, _Elysia._" He grabbed her arm, and pulled her from the bed onto his lap. He ran his fingers through her curls, and leaned in close.

"Hikaru…" Her voice was edged with warning.

"I'm just getting a crumb from that cornbread we had for dinner off of your cheek." Hikaru went and licked her cheek, very slowly. The worst part? The crumb was maybe a centimeter from her lips, so Hikaru's tongue went a little over them as well.

Pushing Hikaru off of her, Elysia went up and sat on the bed. "Geez, you could've just told me." She said, rubbing her cheek.

"But then I wouldn't have been able to answer your question."

"You still actually haven't answered it." Elysia kept rubbing her face.

"You and Haruhi keep us from going gay."

"In my world, it's a big accomplishment to get a gay guy to turn straight for you."

"WE AREN'T GAY!" We both yelled at her at the same time.

"Oh sure. You're just telling yourselves that."

"Do you want me to come lick you again?" Hikaru threatened.

"Changed my mind. You guys are as straight as rainbows."

"Yes! See? We are straight…" Hikaru began to realize exactly what that meant. I started cracking up.

"ELYSIA!"

She held up her hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. You guys are both straight. What time is it anyways?"

I glanced at our alarm clock. "3 in the morning."

"That late? I'm going to bed."

"Us too!"

Hikaru and I took off our shirts. Elysia turned away, face red again.

"Would you mind warning me first before you do that?"

"Umm, we took our shirts off?"

"A little late, Kaoru."

She got into the king-sized bed, settling in the middle, while Hikaru went to her left, me to her right. We sandwhiched her in between us, both of us wrapping our arms around her waist and nestling our heads in her neck.

"Umm…guys?"

"Goodnight, Elysia." We said in unison. Hikaru snapped his fingers, and the light overhead turned off.

"Would you two please get off of me?" She whispered heatedly.

Too late. Hikaru was already snoring. I, however, wasn't asleep yet, and snuggled even closer to Elysia.

"Why? You don't like cuddling with us?" I whispered in her ear. I felt her shiver, and I was almost positive that her face was as red as a tomatoe.

"It's not that…it's just…"

"Why, then?" To make her even more uncomfortable, I wrapped one of my legs around hers.

"Kaoru, please stop, you-you're sc-scar-scaring m-me…" Elysia whimpered a bit, and tried to escape my grip on her legs.

Then it dawned on me. James. It was because of him that she was like this, fragile and weak. She used sarcasm to hide that fact, and it worked unnaturally well. Until times like this.

I removed my legs from hers, and gave her some space, but still kept my arms around her waist.

"Oh, Elysia, I'm so sorry." I murmured, burrowing my head into her neck. She smelled so good… Then I felt water splatter against my upturned cheek. Taking my head out of the crook of her neck, I saw that her beautiful eyes were clouded with tears.

I began to panic. Did I make her cry? Oh gods I hope not. "Elysia, please don't cry. He's not worth it." So overused, I know. But I was trying to comfort her. "Elysia? Elysia, darling, don't cry. Please don't." Oh gods, now I sounded gay.

But a small smile lit up on her face. "Kaoru?"

"Mmmhm?"

"I never did get to ask you my question."

I felt my heart beat just a tiny bit faster. "I can answer it now."

"Ya…I was going to ask you when we were dancing, but then…" She trailed off, obviously thinking of her hallucination about James.

"It's okay, I'm here now. You can ask me." I tilted her head towards me, but I kept my fingers on her chin.

"Kaoru, do you like me?"

It wasn't the question that caught me by surprise, oh no, it was the look in her eyes that did it. They were so filled up with a mixture of sorrow and hope that you would think that nothing else could possibly show through them. But one emotion stood out above all others. Love. I wasn't sure if it was towards me, or towards another person, but I decided to answer in the cheesiest way possible.

"No."

"Oh." Elysia look crestfallen. I'd seen it in a lot of girls before, like if they asked out someone in the Host Club, and were turned down, but Elysia, she looked even more of an angel, not a sniffly, gross, red-eyed drama queen.

"Elysia." I tilted her head back towards me, forcing her to stare me in the eyes. "I love you."

"What?" She gazed at me, her eyes wide.

"I. Love. You." Before she could even react, I lowered down, and kissed her square on the lips. For a second, nothing happened, but then I began to feel her kiss back. It wasn't a long kiss, just a few seconds, but it was the best one I've ever had.

Not that I'd had a lot. Just a bunch of crazed fan girls and such, and those times, I didn't kiss back. I barely let them peck me. I just sprinted in the other direction. Mori would hold them off while Honey provided a distraction.

I'm killing the mood, aren't I?

When we broke apart, Elysia gave me the most amazing smile I'd ever seen, even with the tears still falling down her cheeks. I returned it, even going so far as to lick up her salty tears. She burrowed her head into my chest, and I tightened my grip around her waist.

We fell asleep like that, her first, then me. I swore that I saw Hikaru open an eye and wink at me before I surrendered to the sea of dreams.

That son of a twit.

I woke up to find my arms empty of someone vitally important to me.

My brain went into panic mode. _Where the heck is she? Did she leave? Where'd she go? She didn't move did she? She can't move! I finally kissed her! She can't move now! Oh gosh, I'm going to have to get a plane ticket, and go find her. Maybe she went back to America….No, James is there…France? Yeah, maybe France…I need to go pack and tell the maids and mom and dad, and…._

I bolted upright, about to run to my parents and tell them that I'm going to France when I saw her outside on the balcony, staring out at the cloudy sky. I immediately calmed down, and got up to see what she was doing.

I tip-toed out onto the balcony, wanting to surprise her, but somehow, she noticed.

"It's so pretty outside, don't you think?" She kept staring out at the sky.

"How'd you know it was me?"

She turned, and smirked at me. "Hikaru would've just leaned against the doorframe, waiting for me to turn around, then start molesting me."

I ran my fingers through my hair. "That does sound like him…"

"You guys are way too predictable." She turned away from me, and continued to stare at the clouds.

"It looks like it's going to rain today." I came up behind her, and wrapped my arms around her waist.

"I love the rain."

"Why?"

She sighed. "It's somewhat of a complicated matter. I'll tell you when I think you can understand."

"Why can't you tell me now?"

"I've tried with other people. They don't get it."

"Well, what if I do? What if, by you not telling me why you love the rain so much, I commit suicide, and you have to arrange my funeral for me? Or if I throw myself off of a cliff? Or get eaten by a shark? Or-"

She laughed, cutting off my tirade. Turning around in my arms to face me, she ran her fingers through my hair.

"I know that that won't happen."

"How can you?" Oh gods, the way she was touching my head felt so good…like her smell…

"Because I know you." She stood up on tip-toes to kiss me on the cheek. She wasn't _that _short compared to me. Only a few inches. But I did get to smell her. Kind of creepy, I know, but her mystical and dark aroma was getting me high.

"Come on, lovebirds. I'm hungry." Hikaru appeared at the doorway, and he yawned. I'm not sure if Elysia noticed, but I could tell that it was a fake. It made me wonder how long he'd probably been watching us.

Elysia laughed again, and broke out of my arms to join Hikaru. "Do we just go down in our pajamas, or what?"

"We can if you want to," Hikaru leaned down, smiling seductively. "By the way, do I get a 'good morning' kiss too?"

"Just because I know that you'll bug me about it for the rest of the day, sure." She quickly kissed Hikaru on the cheek, who then smiled triumphantly at me. I glowered at him.

_PICK A SIDE, HIKARU! _

_ I swear we've had this conversation before…._*smirks and walks away.

_Gods, I hate him…_

_ I can still hear you, ya know. _

_ Have I ever told you that I HATE YOU? _

_ Yes. Many times, in fact. _

Sometimes, I hated having a twin.

The rest of the day went by incredibly fast. Hikaru had convinced Elysia to stay the rest of the day, not without a little help from me. We showed her the gardens behind our mansion, went swimming in our pool, and took her to a little tea shop that our mom liked to take us to.

The tea shop was the most fun, mainly because we made Elysia wear a dress to it, as it _was _a formal tea shop.

"Do I _have _to wear this?" Elysia frowned as she looked at herself in the mirror. The dress she was wearing looked amazing on her. It was strapless and white, with a cherry blossom design coming up one side from the bottom.

"Yes." We both replied, already dressed in suits with roses, Hikaru's red, mine white.

"I think this red is clashing with my hair," Hikaru complained, looking in the mirror with Elysia.

"Well isn't someone a beauty queen…"

"Hey! When your mom's a fashion designer, it rubs off on you!"

"Tsk, tsk. Petty excuses."

"Would you two cut it out? We need to get Elysia to hair and make-up." I shook my head at the two.

"Hair and make-up? You guys sound like movie people." Elysia twirled towards me, her dress spinning out with her.

Hikaru smiled evilly at her. "Elysia, darrrlliinnggg, we're _fashion _people, not movie people. There's a slight difference."

"Which is?"

"We know how to make our clients _comfortable,_" Hikaru winked at me, and wrapped his arms around Elysia's waist. Her face blushed.

"H-Hikaru get off of me."

"But Elysia," I murmured as I came up to her, too, taking her chin in my hand, tilting it upwards. "We would absolutely _adore _it if you would just _relax."_ I drew out the last word, using my fingers to massage her neck, secretly searching for a certain pressure point which would knock her out for a few minutes, just enough to get her to the stylists.

"K-Kaoru, please stop that….it feels….so…good…" I found and pressed it, and Elysia fell into my arms.

"Smooth, Kaoru. She's going to love you when she wakes up."

"Don't remind me. Let's get her to hair and make-up before she wakes up."

I picked her up bridal-style and Hikaru led the way to the stylists' room.

The second the three of them saw Elysia, even knocked out, they loved her. Settling her in the chair in front of the bulb-lighted mirror, the three tackled her hair almost instantly.

"I have never seen hair this gorge_eouss _in my life," Noko, the lead hair stylist, twirled a curl between his fingers. "Straightened, it could look even more-"

"DON'T STRAIGHTEN IT!" Both of us cried in unison.

Noko stared at us, shocked. "Well, if you don't want me to…"

"Please, don't. It's just for tea. I-we don't want her hair straightened. She's beautiful as it is." I fingered one of her curls tenderly, as if it might break any moment. Or be straightened.

Noko flashed us, namely me, a brilliant smile. "Aww, I _see _sir. Well then. Kiki! Mika! We are going to make this girl look absolutely _fabulous!_"

Pushing us out of the room, Noko slammed the door in our face.

"NOKO!" We both yelled and pounded on the door for a good 30 minutes at least. Hikaru slumped against the wall directly opposite the door.

"We might as well wait until they decide to let her go."

I sighed and slid down to the floor. "I guess so."

At that moment, Kiki, one of the three stylists, poked her head out. Her white, pixie-cut hair made it hard for her _not _to stand out against the warm brown of the door, so Hikaru and I noticed her immediately.

"Noko told me to lead you into the showroom." She carefully closed the door, making sure not to let either of us peek inside. Grabbing both of our arms, she dragged us to the showroom, a small prototype runway where Mom's models would walk down when either training or if she wanted to see what the show looked like beforehand.

Sitting us down in the very front, she turned towards the stage. "NOKO! They're ready!"

"Fantabulous, Kiki! Now come backstage! I need you to help me pin this-ELYSIA DON'T TOUCH YOUR HAIR!" Noko's voice yelled out from behind the screens.

Kiki shook her head. "Poor Noko. He doesn't understand that Elysia isn't used to this."

"Isn't used to what?"

"What are you doing to our toy that we should be doing to her?"

"DID YOU JUST CALL ME A TOY, HIKARU?" Elysia's enraged voice screamed from backstage.

"N-no, Elysia. Just wanted to let you know that I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH AND WOULD NEVER SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT." Hikaru turned towards me and winked. I just knew that he was going to do something stupid when she came out.

I heard whispering backstage, and then Noko came out. He gave us an 100-kilowatt smile, and gestured towards the screen.

"Introducing, the lovely Miss Elysia!"

Elysia then emerged from the curtain, and I swear there was nothing more that I wanted to do than go up there and kiss her to no end. One glance at Hikaru, and I could tell that he was thinking the exact same thing.

She came out wearing the same dress with the same pink stilettos, but her lips were a faint pink, as were her cheeks, giving her a natural blush. Her eyes were outlined in black eyeliner, and her eyelashes in mascara, but not so much that she looked like a drag queen. The perfect amount.

But the real shocker was her hair. It was piled atop her head, much like how the women in ancient Rome did their hair, just without the gold band. A few curls on either side of her head framed her face.

"Elysia, you look-"Hikaru started.

"-stunning." I finished, hopping up onto the stage, and studying her. Hikaru followed my example.

"Well, then, shall we go to tea?" Elysia smiled nervously, and started to twirl a curl around her finger.

"Absolutely." Hikaru linked arms with her.

"Let's go." I linked her other arm with mine.

We proceeded to drag her out to the tea place.

"This is delicious!" Elysia took a small bite out of her scone, leaving crumbs decorating her face.

"Elysia, you've got something on your face." Before she could rub it off herself, Hikaru and I leaned across the table and licked it off.

"You guys could've just told me," She mumbled, turning red as she rubbed off our saliva.

"You taste as amazing as you smell." I pulled one of the hanging strands of her hair towards me as I sat back down in my seat.

"I smell?" Elysia craned her neck to try to smell herself. Hikaru and I started laughing.

"Not in the bad way!" Hikaru protested, still laughing.

"Yeah, it's not a bad thing." I smiled at her.

"Well, jeez, next time, warn me before doing that." She pouted, and took another bite of her scone.

"Doing what?" Both of us responded, looking innocent.

She glared at us. "You know."

"Would you mind giving us a demonstration of what it is you don't want us to do?" We replied, gazing at her.

"And now it looks like you guys are undressing me with your eyes. Perverts." She turned away to look outside at the garden outside of the window.

"You still hang out with us," Hikaru answered.

"Only 'cuz you drag me along."

"You agreed to come over to our house," I responded.

"Well that's only because-"Elysia stopped abruptly in the middle of her sentence. I saw her eyes flit towards Hikaru, who was staring coolly at her. "Never mind."

"Elysia, why won't you tell me?" I whined, giving her my puppy-dog eyes and rubbing her fingers against my cheek. _Oh gods her hands were soft…._

"Yeah, Elysia, why _don't _you tell us?" Hikaru leaned across the table, giving Elysia a smirk. Something was going on between them, and even though I didn't know what, I knew that I didn't like it.

"Hikaru, stop teasing her! If she doesn't want to tell us, she doesn't have to!"

"When did you become her protector?" Hikaru turned on me, snarling.

"When did you become so jealous?" I glared at him.

"When YOU only started to care about HER!" Hikaru pointed an accusing finger at Elysia.

"That's not true, and you know it Hikaru!" I protested, trying to calm my twin down.

"Who cares if it isn't true or not? Before, it was just us and now it's all about Elysia! Elysia this, Elysia that, IT'S ALL ABOUT HER!" Hikaru turned his glare to Elysia.

"Hikaru-"

"WOULD BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT UP!" Elysia stood up, slamming her hands on the table. "IF I HAD KNOWN THAT YOU TWO WOULD BE FIGHTING DURING THIS THEN I NEVER WOULD HAVE AGREED!" She turned to Hikaru, and grabbed his tie, yanking his face into hers. Taking a deep breath, she stared at him. "I am sooo tired of your snarky attitude, Hikaru. It's not always going to be about you. Other people have cares besides your own, so I would suggest going and getting your stupid-"

She never got to finish, as Hikaru had just slammed his lips into hers. Eyes wide in shock, she glanced at me. I was staring at the two in shock, and was also silently thanking anyone who was listening that we had gotten a private tea room.

She pushed him away. "I'm leaving." Standing up, she walked swiftly towards the door. "Send my bag back to my house." Turning, she slammed the door shut. At first, neither of us heard anything, as if she was just standing. Then we heard a gasp, and her heels clicking against the floor as she ran off.

I pushed my chair out from under me, and swung a fist at Hikaru. He caught it in his, and threw it back at me.

"Save it, Kaoru. I'm as mad as you are."

"Yeah? Well I guess it's probably easy to cope with, considering you practically _made out with her!_" I screamed at him. There were no words to described how furious I was at my brother. I was torn from the inside with his betrayal, the way he played Elysia, as if she really was nothing more than his toy. It angered me to no end.

"I didn't make-out with her, Kaoru! Now get a hold of yourself!" Hikaru grabbed my shoulders and shook me, as if trying to get sense in me. "Are you going to stand here, arguing with me, or are you going to go find her, and tell her that you love her?"

I paused, about ready to knee Hikaru. Here I am, venting out my anger on my twin, while she was probably walking alone back home. No telling what might happen to her.

I shrugged off Hikaru, and ran towards the door. Before I got there, however, a tall figure threw it open, and stood in front of it, blocking my passageway to Elysia.

"Mori! Move!" I yelled, trying to push past the stoic host.

"Kaoru." Honey appeared from behind him, his face back into the serious mask he wore when we had been in the dojo. "Kaoru, do you really think we're going to let you go to her when you're like this?" He gestured to me, my clenching fists, and the way my face was probably all heated up.

I nodded. "Yeah, I think that that's exactly what you'll do."

"Wrong." Honey pushed me, and I fell into one of the sofas sitting absently around the room. It wasn't exactly the softest push I've ever felt.

"OW!" I yelled, rubbing my neck, which had landed on the arm of the sofa.

"Hikaru." Honey turned towards the traitor at the other end of the room. "Come over here."

Hikaru, rather than being forced like I had, grudgingly walked over, and sat down in the chair facing were I was sitting.

"Both of you, I want you to stay here." Honey motioned around the room. Yeesh, I never knew that the cute kid could ever become like _this._ It was so…_weird._

"Mori and I will look for Elysia, and make sure she gets home safely. This area can turn into a deadly place at twilight." Honey glanced nervously outside at the setting sun.

"But-"

"No buts Kaoru." Mori said, staring at me. "Stay here."

Wow. That's like a whole speech for Mori. It really must be important. I guess.

"…Fine. But only because Mori spoke more than three syllables." I grumbled, and slumped in the sofa.

"I'll stay with Kaoru." I glared at Hikaru. So now he wants to be all buddy-buddy with me. Just. Great.

"Good. Just to make sure you don't leave and follow us, I'm having you watched." Honey smiled at us. As if the greatest thing in the world was keeping us prisoner in a tea house. I glanced at Hikaru.

"At least there's food." He offered hopefully. I just glared at him and turned away.

Honey and Mori left soon after making sure we wouldn't leave. Namely, putting about 50 locks on the door from the outside, locking all of the windows, checking random areas where I'd guessed there to be hidden security cameras, and hiding all of the silverware.

"This is just _fabulous._" I moaned and flung myself back onto the couch.

"More like _fantabulous,_ Kaoru." Hikaru smirked from his position on the chair.

"Shut up, Hikaru. I don't want to listen to you."

We sat for maybe a half-hour like that, completely silent. Not even moving from our positions. I'm guessing Hikaru got tired of it, though, and he spoke.

"I'm really sorry, Kaoru."

He never was very patient.

"What part do you not understand of 'I don't want to talk to you, so just shut up already'?"

"Obviously, not enough." I smiled a bit at that.

"What, exactly, are you apologizing for?"

"Everything. The kiss, making you jealous, everything." Hikaru rubbed his hand against his neck.

"Yeah…why were you doing that?" I turned towards him, trying to stare at him like Elysia did to everyone. As if I was looking into his soul, and finding out all of his deepest secrets, which I already knew, but that didn't matter. Did it?

"I don't really know….I guess I got kind of jealous…"

"Of who? Me, or Elysia?" I smirked at him. He turned to stare at me with open eyes.

"Both."

"WHAT?"

"I kinda…like Elysia, too…" He trailed off and smiled a bit cautiously at me.

"YOU-"

I would've called him a nice, choice, very colorful word, except that right at that moment, Hikaru's cell phone rang.

He picked it up immediately. "What?"

_Bzzz Bzz BZZZ bzzz Bzzz Bzzz _

That is my translation of the person talking through the phone. AKA, I had no idea what they were saying.

Hikaru's face hardened as he listened to the caller. "Yeah…Mhm…WHAT? Ya, we'll be there right away." He clicked the phone shut, and stared at me, his face unexpressive.

"Something's happened."


	8. Shock

**Loved the last chapter. I spent such a lonnnngggg time on it. I've gotten so many comments asking what the heck happened, and my dear reviewers/readers/friends, YOU WILL FIND OUT.**

** Maybe not in this chapter. **

** Maybe not in this story. **

** But you will find out. **

** HAHAHAHAHAHAH jk. The reason is in this chapter. **

** Elysia's POV, just in case anyone has short term memory loss and can't remember who the last chapter's POV was for.**

** DISCLAIMER: Yep. I so totally own it. Totally. Just like I own Toys R Us and In-and-Out. Oh and that huge department store? What's it called, Macy's? Yeah, I own that too…..as well as the high school that's right next door to me. The muggers? Yeah, I own them. The taggers? Them too. **

** I'm so rich. NOT. **

_Shock _

_Those two._

They could be like three-year-olds fighting over a crayon sometimes. I knew they would cool down sooner or later, but I also knew that that 'cooling down' moment would come sooner if I left.

Besides that, these heels were seriously _killing me._

Bending over, I slid off the strappy heels, the pink faux diamonds sparkling in the sunset. Well, actually, there was a very good chance that the diamonds were real.

_I am so going to get mugged…_

Hearing a rustle in the bushes, I twirled around, staring hard at the bush, just daring it to move again. Once satisfied that the bush wasn't going to whisper to its neighbor anymore, I turned and resumed walking home. _Tamaki would be throwing a fit if he knew that I was walking home without an escort,_ I thought, smiling.

But then thinking of Tamaki led me to thinking about the Host Club, which then led me to thinking of about how I got into the Host Club. Which, in turn, reminded me of Tamaki again, but conversing with Kyouya about the details of me joining. Then my brain whirred to a stop, and I started scowling at some poor tree that I was walking past as I thought of the Shadow King.

_~Flashback~ _

_I was sitting on my bed in my room, crying into my pillow after the ball. My dress had billowed around me, and my shoes had been thrown across the room. I didn't even bother to put them away, even if they were Kaoru's and Hikaru's property. _

_ I kept getting horrible images of James. Him saying he loved me, him slamming me against a wall, scar throbbing, him acting sweet, then turning devil the next moment. _

_ Then I could feel the knife being stabbed into my back for a second time. Screaming from a pain that wasn't really there, I started convulsing viciously on my bed. _

_ "Elysia! ELYSIA!" I heard a voice that sounded a lot like Honey's, but as I listened, it contorted to sound like James' rough, scratchy one. _

_ "GET AWAY FROM ME!" I shouted, backing away from where the voice was coming from and curling up on my bed with my head burrowed into the pillow. _

_ "What's wrong with her?" _

_ "Is she okay?" _

_ "Takashi, can I-"_

_ "No, Mitsukuni." _

_ I heard the different voices melding together, forming one. It reminded me of a kaleidoscope, the colors merging, passing, and separating, but still all considered one. _

_ I felt sweat pouring over my body, and I had an image of James standing beside my bed, smiling his evil grin. _

_ "You'll never escape me." His scar jumped out of his face, taunting me as he leaned forward. _

_ "NO!" I kicked him away, and rolled off the bed. Pushing through the shadow-like figures that surrounded me, I sprinted down the many halls of our home. Outside I ran, racing past the backyard and the other houses, towards the patch of woods right behind our house. It was the only place I knew that was safe. _

_ I ran towards my special creek, a place hidden from all eyes, and hard to find unless you knew where it was. My dress had been ripped and torn in all kinds of places from the roots and sticks that littered the forest floor. Stopping at the creek, I lowered myself to the small overhang where the water fell into a short waterfall, emptying into a pool. _

_ I gasped, heart racing from the sprinting, and closed my eyes, trying to calm myself. The rippling waters and the soft sound of them splashing on the rocks below entered my thoughts, giving me a feeling of pure pleasure. James disappeared from my mind, as did anything that had to do with him. I vaguely heard voices calling my name, but I blocked them from my brain, only paying attention to the way the waves in the crystal water rippled away from the soft, curling liquid of the waterfall. _

_ Sighing contentedly, I closed my eyes, and fell back onto the moss. I heard more voices, and soon someone was shaking me. I opened one of my eyes to find that I was gazing into large worried ones that belonged to Honey. He put his hand to my cheek, as if testing whether my face was hot or not. _

_ "Elysia? Are you okay?" His open emotional eyes started to leak tears. _

_ "Oh, Honey, don't cry, don't cry, I'm okay, I promise," I sat up and pulled him into my lap. I started to rock him back and forth as he cried on my shoulder. Mori kneeled down too, and put an arm around me. I petted Honey's head, trailing my fingers through his blonde locks. _

_ "Honey? It's alright. I'm fine now." He pushed away a little, just enough to look at my face. His cheeks were streaked with wet lines and his eyes were so full of worry and love that I swear I might've cried my heart out right then and there. _

_ "Don't scare me again, okay Elysia?" _

_ "Oh, Honey…" Then I did start to cry. Both of us were bawling on each other when Tamaki and Kyouya came and found us. Tamaki immediately joined the crying fest, sinking to his knees and wrapping both of us in a large hug, and, for once, I really didn't mind. Kyouya, however, stood over us, but I do think I saw a slight smile on his face. _

_ "Elysia, why'd you go running off?" Honey had asked as all of us nursed a cup of hot chocolate in our hands. It had started raining a little after Tamaki and Kyouya had found us. Honey, Mori, and I had gotten literally drenched. Tamaki hadn't been so dry, either, when we got back to my house. Kyouya had somehow managed to stay completely dry during the duration of us crying and walking home. It irked me a little, seeing him standing as pristine and cool as he was in the Host Club serving guests. _

_ "It's kind of complicated, Honey…" _

_ "We've got time." Tamaki smiled kindly at me, and sat on the couch across from where I was sitting. I took a shaky breath, shuddering underneath my blanket. _

_ "You guys sure that you want to hear it?" _

_ "YES." Honey sat up straight next to me, and put his arm around my shoulders. It made me smile because he was so short that he needed to get on his knees to do so. _

_ "Alright, just…don't freak out…okay?" _

_ "Gotcha." _

_ "Here it goes." And so I told them about James, and the abusing, and the, um, stabbing. By the time I was done, Tamaki had collapsed into tears, Honey was hugging me, Mori was standing there, stock still, but I swear I saw his face soften, and Kyouya looked worried. _

_ That's right. KYOUYA looked worried. _

_ "Elysia, I think tomorrow, you need to go to the Hitachiin's house." _

_ "How'd you know about that?" _

_ "I have many, let's call them, sources. I believe it's for the best." _

_ "But…but…" _

_ "Yes, Ely-chan?" Honey had gone back to his nickname for me, and was staring at me, a concerned look in his eyes. _

_ "Well…won't Kaoru hate me?" I whispered, staring at my hot chocolate. _

_ "Most likely not, seeing as how he's-" Kyouya paused and cleared his throat. "Never mind. But I still think you should go." _

_ "Why?" I whined. _

_ "Go, or else I'll give you a debt, like Haruhi." _

_ "Fine, fine, I'll go. Gosh…" _

_ "Good, good. Honey, Mori," He glanced at the two. "Would you be so kind as to escort Tamaki to the car? Arigato." _

_ Honey and Mori nodded and left, but not before Honey had given me a death hug. _

_ "That kid's strong…" I rubbed my arm, and I felt a bruise forming. Great._

_ "Elysia, I really do think you should go, and explain this all to Kaoru." _

_ "Why specifically Kaoru?" _

_ Kyouya just shook his head. "Some people can be so blind…" _

_ "Well, excuse me, just because I wear glasses-"_

_ "That's not what I meant." _

_ "Yeah. Next time you want to act all confusing and fishy, just gimme a call, why don'tcha?" _

_ "Elysia, I'm serious. You're going, and you're telling them." _

_ "Can't I just go, and, like, NOT tell them?" _

_ "No." _

_ "Please?" _

_ "Do you __**want **__a debt, Elysia?" _

_ "Fine, fine. Yeesh…" _

_ "Sayonara." _

_ "Yeah, yeah. See ya, Kyouya-sempai." _

_~End Flashback~ _

I sighed as I continued on the path back to my house. Kyouya could be nice at some times, and a complete devil the next. I didn't know what to think of him.

While I was debating whether or not Kyouya just happened to be a demon in disguise, a harsh voice, rough and scratchy, entered my thoughts.

"Yo! Elysia!"

He said it in American.

Not even daring to turn around, I started sprinting down the sidewalk, but I could hear his footsteps catching up to me.

_Let it be a dream…let it be just a hallucination…please…PLEASE._

I stopped suddenly, and twirled around, staring straight into the eyes of a ginger. One with a long, white scar running down his face.

"Long time, no see, eh, Elysia?" he smiled at me, but it seemed more of a vengeful smile than a happy one.

"Wish it could've lasted." I retorted, glaring at him.

"Yeah, well, all good things must come to an end. Speaking of 'ends,' I see you didn't meet yours, Elysia."

"How did you find me?" My voice was like ice.

"Oh, you know, a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and some people that I know." He started to slowly walk towards me. Every step he took forwards, however, I took one back.

"How, James?"

"I can tell you that it was hard. Especially with the police chasing me, thanks to a girl that I know." His eyes glinted in the sunset.

"A girl that you almost _killed._" I glared at him even more.

"Pshh. Kill. Such a harsh word. I would rather call it 'put to an endless sleep.' Nicer, huh?" He smiled evilly at me, still advancing forwards.

"Nice? There isn't a fiber in your whole being that's _nice_, James. Therefore, _I _would rather prefer it to be called kill." I cursed as I felt a fence behind me. Glancing to either side, I saw that James had backed me into an alleyway. _Oh gods…_

"Considering that you're still breathing, _Elysia_," He said my name like it was a dead fish being thrown out that smelled bad. "I would have to admit that I didn't do a very good job of _killing _you, as you want to call it. So I came here to finish the deed." He revealed from under his coat a long, incredibly sharp knife. He came even closer, narrowing the distance between us.

"James, don't!" I pushed a nearby trash can towards him, but he just jumped over it.

"Actually," He purred as he pressed me up against the fence, "since you've grown so much over the past year, and since I don't want to waste such a pretty thing such as you, I think I might have some fun first before I kill you." He tilted my chin up, not unlike the way Kaoru did it to me. I felt my mind stir, and James' face was replaced by Kaoru's.

I gave myself an internal shaking. _This isn't Kaoru….Kaoru wouldn't ever hurt you…this is James…_

"At least you won't die a virgin, eh?" James whispered in my ear as he started to bite down my neck.

"James…" I mumbled, struggling to get out of his tight grip. "Stop it…"

"Why should I?" He murmured, taking my lips with his.

I hated it. It wasn't anything like Kaoru's sweet ones. His were full of violence, anger, pain. He was a psychotic teen who wanted to take advantage of me. Kaoru was a caring one who just wanted me to be happy.

Guess which one I pick?

"GET OFF OF ME!" I screamed as newfound energy flowed through me. I slammed my head against his, and even though it hurt me a lot, I imagine it hurt him more. I struggled against his hold as he recovered from the blow.

"Fiesty, eh?" He chuckled, and pushed me up even harder against the fence. "I've always liked that about you, Elysia. Too bad you won't be around for much longer." He threw me from the fence to the ground. I heard a popping noise, followed by a large crack. I glanced down and saw my right leg twisted at an ungodly angle. Pain rushed over me like a waterfall.

"Now, for the fun part." James started running his fingers along my legs. I kicked him as best as I could with my left leg, but James just laughed.

"That's it, huh? Thought you would put up more of a fight." James moved closer up, running his hand along my side as he did. He moved his lips over mine, while raising his knife at the same time over my arm. I grabbed it to stop it from chopping off my hand, but screamed as its sharp blade dug into my skin.

I stared at the blood that was now pouring out of my hand and began to feel faint. The combination of too much blood loss and the pain from my broken leg was beginning to overwhelm me. I knew that the second I passed out, James would go for the kill. Hopefully, only the kill, but knowing James, he would do other things first.

His smile that he gave me made his scar scrunch together on his face. "You're weakening, Elysia. Might as well give up now. Less pain for you if you do."

"No…" I struggled feebly underneath his grip.

"Come on, Elysia. Dying isn't so bad."

"I don't want to…die…"

James traced my collarbone with the knife. "Well, I would assume so. Any specific reason why?"

For a second, Kaoru's face flashed in my mind. I began to remember all of the good times with him that I had had. Like today, and when I had to find my uniform. Or when I saw him passed out on the couch after deciding on my dress for the ball. I recalled the time when we danced with each other at the ball. And how he always seemed to be there when I needed him. Tears started streaking down my face as I realized that I wouldn't ever see him again.

I opened my eyes to see James's face transform into Kaoru's, then back again. The metamorphosis kept repeating, and I felt my mind losing control. Was this Kaoru holding me, or James trying to kill me?

I couldn't tell anymore.

And that was what scared me most of all.

"Don't…hurt..me…Kaoru…" I murmured as I began to lose consciousness. Right before I passed out, I heard a deafening yell, and felt the person- James or Kaoru or whoever it was- get knocked off of me. I felt the someone else pick me up and say my name.

I drifted off while trying to call back to the one who was shouting my name so urgently.


	9. Cookies Have Magical Qualities

**I'm too lazy to write a huge 'get to know the author' note, so yaaaa….**

**Disclaimer: I'm rewatching all of the episodes. That's how obsessed I am. Because the owner of OHSHC totally watches all of the episodes three times in a row….TOTALLY…**

_Cookies Have Magical Qualities_

"What's wrong Kao-chan?" Honey came bounding up to me. I was sitting in a chair facing away from the rest of the host club and Elysia. It had been three days since her confrontation with James.

_~Flashback~ _

_Hikaru and I raced down the street, heading towards the alley where Mori had told Hikaru to go to over the phone. _

"_What do you think happened?" I called as we sprinted closer to the opening. _

"_Mori didn't tell me much, only that Elysia's hurt." He yelled back. _

_We ran into the alleyway to find Elysia passed out on the ground, her leg twisted at an odd angle and a long deep cut running across her hand. Bruises lined her neck, and Honey was bent over her, near tears. Mori was holding a red-head with a long scar running down his face up tightly against the fence at the back. _

_Hikaru's face contorted into rage. "James." _

_I remembered Elysia's description of him, and when I caught his eye, James grinned at me. _

_ "So you're the famous one. Or is it him?" James seemed to be enjoying himself, confusing Hikaru and me. "Would you mind telling me which one of you is Kaoru so I can beat the crap out of him?" _

_ My twin and I glanced at each other. "Why do you want to know?" Hikaru asked. _

_ "I might tell you, if you tell me if you're Kaoru or not." He winked at us, even though I saw him grimace when Mori tightened his hold. _

_ "You know, I don't think we should tell you. Isn't that right, HiKAru?" I gave Hikaru a mischievous smile, hoping he'd get what I was going for. _

_ "Absolutely, KAO-chan." Thankfully, he understood where I was going with this, and didn't use my real name. James was looking between us two with confusion written all over his stupid, murderous face. _

_ "Although James," I said, walking over to him. "We MIGHT tell you, if you can win our favorite game." Both Hikaru and I tore off our ties and tied them around our heads, blocking which way our parts went. _

_ "The 'Which One is Hikaru?' game!" Hikaru and I said in unison, dancing around each other. Honey cracked a small smile, and managed to wake up Elysia for a couple minutes to watch. _

_ "I DON'T WANT TO PLAY YOUR STUPID GAME! Just tell me WHICH ONE OF YOU IS KAORU!" James yelled at us. He struggled against Mori's hold, but it didn't seem like it was doing anything. _

_ "Nu-uh-uhh." I said, waggling my finger in his face. "That's not how the game goes. You see-"_

_ "-we twins stick together. And when you mess with one of us-"_

_ "-you mess with ALL of us." With that, both Hikaru and I sent a flurry of punches straight into James' face. When we finished, his head was lolling around on his neck, and he was unconscious. _

_ I turned and raced over to Elysia, who Honey had made stay awake so that she could watch us torment her old boyfriend and beat him senseless. _

_ "Elysia! Elysia, are you okay? Did he do anything to you?" I took her hand in mine, but she pulled away. When I looked into her eyes, they were wide with fear. "Elysia, what's wrong?" _

_ "Stay…stay away from me!" She yelled, and backed away, hiding behind Honey. She winced, then fainted, probably because of her broken leg. _

_ "Elysia…" I murmured, caressing her soft face. What had happened to her? _

_ "She thinks you're James." Honey said, kneeling next to me. I turned towards him, shocked. But this had happened before, hadn't it? Like at the ball? _

_ Honey held up a hand before I could say anything, and Mori came up from behind him, James tossed over his shoulder. "I heard her say before she passed out, 'Don't hurt me Kaoru.' She can't tell who's who anymore. I would suggest staying away from her until she recovers, or else you might hurt her more." _

_**'you might hurt her more.'**_

_ Had I been hurting her all this time? Had she been struggling just looking at me, remembering James? _

_ I backed away from Elysia, and those few steps killed me inside. Each one was like a pounding blow to my heart, as if dynamite had been placed in it, and it chose now to explode. _

One step away…_I love you…_two steps…_I love you…_three steps…_I love you…_four steps away…

_"Elysia Curran I love you." I murmured loud enough for her to hear, but not enough that everyone else heard too. _

_ I saw her eyes flit upwards to me, and it seemed like she recognized me. But then a shadow crossed her beautiful blue-gray eyes and they widened in terror. She ducked even further behind Honey. _

_ Sighing, I turned away, and went to stand solemnly by Hikaru. He glanced at me for a second, and before I knew it, he had wrapped me in a hug. Not the fake ones we normally did, like for our clients, nor was it a quick hug, like when saying hello. He was genuinely being a brother to me, something neither of us did very often. We were more friends than brothers. _

_ I returned it, and as Mori and Honey walked away, Mori practically dragging James, but carefully carrying Elysia, I started crying into Hikaru's suit, realizing that I might never be able to be close to Elysia again. _

_~End Flashback~ _

In the past three days, Elysia had been in and out of Kyouya's family hospital. She had first been put in a wheelchair, but she protested against it after Tamaki accidentally pushed her into a wall. Then she had been on crutches, but she collapsed the second she tried to walk. The doctors finally gave up, and put her in a special boot that allowed her to walk normally, with only one crutch. It was painful to see her like this, and normally I would've gone over and helped her, but considering the fact that Honey had to talk her whenever she even glanced at Hikaru or me, I couldn't.

"You know what's wrong, Honey." I replied, gazing out the window.

"Kao-chan, why don't you go talk to her?"

"I can't, Honey. You know that."

"Why don't you try to let her know you're her friend without talking to her?"

"Like how?" I glanced at him from my spot, and saw that he was desperately trying to help. It tore him apart that I couldn't be with Elysia.

"Like, you could bake her cookies!" He answered, grinning at me. Haruhi came up next to him.

"That's not a half bad idea Honey. In fact, why don't you go the kitchen right now, Kaoru?" She smiled at me, but it was more of a just-go-please-Honey-wants-you-to rather than a legitimate smile.

I put on a smile, and nodded at Haruhi. "Sure Honey. I guess I will."

I got up and turned towards the kitchen. Walking in, I grabbed a random cookbook and turned to a page labeled "Chocolate Chip Cookies."

"This shouldn't be that hard…if Mom can do it, so can I." I took off my jacket, and loosened my tie from my neck. Rolling up my sleeves, I took out all of the ingredients plus a bowl with a mixer attached.

My first problem was the flour. It exploded all over me the second I opened the lid.

"Dang it!" I slammed the top back on it. I guess it was mad at me because I've never actually baked anything before. That was Hikaru's calling, not mine.

I carefully opened the lid, and scooped a cup of flour out of it. Then I dumped it in the bowl.

POOF!  
>"OMIGODS THIS STUFF HATES ME!" It had exploded over me. Again.<p>

After successfully (sort of) putting the rest of the flour into the bowl, I moved on to the eggs. Cracking each one into the bowl, I thought that I was getting the hang of it. Until the last one decided to commit suicide and fall on the floor.

"Seriously?" Great, now I'm talking to food.

I heard a laugh from the hallway by the kitchen. Turning around, I found Elysia peeking through the door. Her face was holding in a laugh, and when I saw her, it came bursting out.

"Oh my gosh, Kaoru….You can't seriously be trying to bake cookies. The eggs go in a different bowl. Here, lemme help." She hobbled over on her crutch, and began to measure the flour again, in a different bowl. It didn't explode on _her, _which just reinforces my theory about it hating me.

I watched her in amazement as she put all of the 'dry' ingredients in one bowl and all the 'wet' in another. I didn't understand why you had to separate them, I mean, I considered it kind of racist. Why are the eggs and butter so special that they get to go in the mixer first?

I didn't get it.

Elysia seemed to, though, because she was combining ingredients like a pro. She caught me gazing at her, and laughed. Did all this flour really make me look funny? "Don't be deceived. Chocolate chip cookie recipes are pretty much where my baking talents stop."

I smiled at her, and tried to help her out as much as possible. It pained me that I couldn't hold her while she cooked, like that day on the balcony. It made me wonder if she still remembered everything that had happened before her incident with James.

After she put the cookie dough into the oven, she started to inspect me. I was still completely flour covered.

Smiling, she started to dust me off. "Don't move," She said. "Let me just get the worst parts."

I had a feeling Elysia was a perfectionist, because she didn't move on from my tie until it was spotless. Then she did my shirt. However, the wet rag she was using made my white shirt wet in turn. Wet + White shirt= a very red Elysia.

"You don't have to do that, you know." I said, smiling but backing away.

"No, no, you were trying to make cookies for me, the least I can do is help you clean flour off of yourself." She came towards me again, scrubbing out patches of it in my shirt.

"Seriously, Elysia, I don't want you having another…" I trailed off as I remembered the time at the ball when she threw a vase at me. And when she backed away from me during the James confrontation. If I mentioned it now, karma might hit me in the head and make her remember. Then I'll be back where I started.

I backed up against a wall, and Elysia, who obviously didn't notice, kept cleaning my shirt.

"It's almost done," She insisted. "Now I just need to get your face. Stay here."

She ran off to the sink, throwing the now dirty dish towel into the sink, and grabbing a new one. I quickly thought of making a break for it, but that would just give her a reason to hate the real me, not the Holy-Crap-Kaoru-Just-Turned-Into-James me.

"Here." Elysia made me sit on a stool, and started rubbing the flour off of my face. When she finished one cheek and went to my nose, my face had turned red. So had hers. I realized how close we both were.

"Umm, Elysia…"

"Yeah, Kaoru?" She focused on getting flour off of my chin.

"You remember my name?" I was a little shocked. I mean, I guess it wasn't totally unheard of, but wouldn't she have blocked every little detail about me from her mind? That's what I probably would've done.

"Umm, yeah." She glanced at me, slightly confused, but slightly humored too. "I also know that you can't bake for your life, and that sometimes you run your hands through your hair when you get annoyed."

"I don't do that." I said, lifting my hand up, then dropping it down immediately. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me be annoyed.

"I also know that you're extremely stubborn. And, yes, you do." She smiled, and moved to my forehead with her Scrubbing Rag of Doom.

What? It was making my face hurt.

"So, you remember everything that happened before your," I paused, a little unsure of whether to go on or not.

"'Incident'? Yeah. I do." Her eyes got a faraway look, and my mind flashed back to the time when we were on the balcony. I had a feeling she was thinking of the same thing.

"Hey Kaoru?" We both started closing the gap between us, moving at the same time.

"Yeah?"

"I hope you don't mind," We were less than 5 centimeters apart.

"Mind what?" I was barely speaking.

"I think I still lo-" I cut her off as I planted my lips on hers. I know that I probably should've waited, but I don't have the resolve to wait. Patience isn't one of my key features.

We stayed like that for a while, just kissing. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I put mine around her waist, pulling her closer.

We broke off when the oven started beeping that the cookies were done.

"I should probably get that." She said, smiling at me. For once, no dark visions clouded her eyesight of me.

She took the cookies out of the oven, and bit into one. She spit it out immediately.

"What? Are they bad?" I hopped off of the stool, and went over.

"Nope, jus' haaawwwwt." She waved her hands over her tongue, trying to get it to cool down.

I started laughing at her. She looked ridiculous. Glaring at me, she grabbed a cookie, plugged my nose, and shoved it into my mouth.

It started to burn my taste buds. I felt like smoke was pouring through my ears. Yanking the cookie out, I began to do Elysia's weird hand-cooling –down thing. It actually worked.

Except now she was laughing at me.

"Shuw up." I said, waving the heat off my tongue.

"That's what you get for laughing at me." She smiled. Her tongue was back to normal. Maybe she had a special tongue-healing power.

"Yeesh." I grabbed a glass of water and began to chug it down. The cold felt great.

Elysia kept laughing. I smiled at her.

I wished we could stay like this forever.


End file.
